Steam iron



March 4, 1958 R. A. KUHN ETAL' STEAM IRON 2 Sheets Si1eet 1- Filed Dec. 20. 1954 3 H a 6 l H 6 ME .I. F

u 3 2 D H 4 at L m. F F1 2 1 n T a a" 0 Dow 4 U K k I h K J 2 I 4 K 3 H 5 K A K 5 H 7 K K w o INVENTORS ROB'ERT A.KUHN

BY CHARLES A.HANSER ATTO RNEYS March 4, 1958 R. A. KUHN ET AL.

STEAM IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 20. 1954 FIG.6.

V INI ENTORS ROBERT A.KUHN BY CHARLES A. HANSER- M IWmM ATTORNEYS United States Patent STEAM IRON Robert A. Kuhn, Grosse Pointe, and Charles A. Hanser, Detroit, Mich., assignors to American Electrical Heater Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application December 20, 1954, Serial No. 476,526

Claims. (Cl. 38-77) The invention relats to steam irons and it is one of the objects of the invention to provide better control for the generation of the steam to suit varying conditions of use.

It is a further object to obtain other advantageous,

features as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical central longitudinal section through the steam iron.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the handle and hood removed.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is. a plan view of the water tank detached.

Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section thercthrough.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic development of the cam groove in the steam controlling knob indicating the several positions of adjustment thereof.

As illustrated in Figs. land 2 A is a sole plate having a substantially annular channel A in its upper face for receiving an insulated and armored electrical heat unit B. 'Within this sole plate and preferably in the forward ornose portion thereof is a recess A connectedby a plurality of passages A with channels A in the bottom of thesole plate. A plate C is secured by screws C to the top of the sole plate covering the recess A therein and forming thereof a vaporizing chamber, as hereinafter described. Above the sole plate is a water tank D which covers the greater portion of the area of said plate. This tank rests upon a plurality of thin walled posts E extending upward from the sole plate and affording support to the tank with the minimum of thermal conduction from the plate. The tank is retained by a strap member F secured to the sole plate at opposite sides thereof and passing over a central portion of the tank. A spring F is interposed between the top portion of the strap and adjacent portion of the tank to resiliently bear on the latter.

Covering and inclosing the tank is a hood G which extends down to the sole plate and is secured by screws G to the strap F. Above the hood is a handle member H comprising front and rear post members H and H secured to the hood by screws H and a hollow hand grasp portion I extending between the upper ends of said posts and secured by a bolt I. The post member H is hollow and the recess H therein receives in its lower end a full tube D extending upward from the tank D. There is also an aperture H through the front wall of the post into the recess H so that when the iron is stood upon its end water may be filled into the tank through the aperture H and recess H For feeding water from the tank into the vaporizing chamber and for regulating the flow thereof there is provided the following construction:

I is a nozzle depending from the tank D and passing through au aperture in the plate C into the recess A. In the upper portion of this nozzle is a seat I for a valve closure and below this seat an elongated passage J extending to the discharge end. The valve is formed by a rod K extending downward through the hollow handle re 2,825,155 1C6 Patented Mar. 4, 1958 2 H' having at its lower end a closure portion K for engaging the seat J and metering pin K extending downward through the passage J The upper portion of the rod passes through a bushing K in the post H and above this bushing there is attached to the rod an operating knob K located in a recess in the post H. A coil spring K surrounding the rod below the bushing and hearing at its lower end on a shoulder K forms a means for resiliently pressing the rod downward against the seat J. On theunderside of the knob K is a helical channel K which is engaged by a stationary pin K secured to the post. Thus, if the knob K is rotated the helical channel bearing on the pin K will raise or lower the knob and rod K according to the direction'of rotation. The helical channel K is*also preferably provided at spaced points therein with recesses K K K for engaging the pin K under the yielding pressure of the spring K and holding the knob at such points against accidental rotation. Thus, in one of the positions K of the knob K the rod K is free to be pressed downward by the spring K to close the portion K against the seat I. At another position K in the rotation of the knob the portion K is raised from the seat but the metering pin K has a cylindrical portion K? of large enough diameter to greatly restrict the channel in the passage 1. At another position'K in the rotation the portion K is withdrawn from the passage J and the latter is restricted by a cylindrical portion K which issmaller in diameter to enlarge the channel and rate of flow of water theret-hrough.

Thus, the quantity of steam generated in a given time with the adjustment K is less than the quantity generated'in the adjustment K I As is usual the iron is provided with adjustable thermostatic control means. This is so located as not to interfere with the steam discharge portion of the sole plate, also to be .convenientfor adjustment and to minimize thermal conduction of the adjusting knob. portion of the sole plate there is a recess A5 in its upper face in'which 'thet hermostat is conveniently located and depressed so as to avoid interference with the tank. However, the tank has a portion D of its bottom above the recess raised to provide further clearance and inclined to be substantially parallel with the top of the hood, which latter is higher at its front end than at the rear. This portion of the tank has an open ended tube D therethrough forming a passage for the operating rod L controlling the thermostat. The thermostat L may be of any suitable construction, not a part of the instant invention and which will not be described, other than to say that the rod L' has a threaded portion L passing through a stationary bracket L and engaging a threaded bearing L thereon. The rod passes upward through an aperture in the hood G and has attached thereto above the hood an operating knob L also a disk L which serves the double purpose of an indicator for the various temperature settings of the thermostat, and also a radiator for dissipating heat and keeping the temperature of the knob low. The fact that the rod L passes through the tube D which is surrounded by the water in the tank,

helps to dissipate any heat conducted upward through the rod from the sole plate, while the disk L supplements such heat dissipation.

The electrical connections will only be described in a In the rear' by a conductor M with the connections within the hollowtpost.

The water tank D previously described may be formed of top and bottom pressed sheet metal cupped portions seamed together at D. Abrace member D'r'nay be placed within the tank near the tube portion-D to reinforce the same. The tank rests upon'thepo'sts'E, as before described, is held down by thespring F and isfurther held down by a clamp member E at the front and screwed to the sole plate with its upper end engaging the top of the seam D The steam iron, as above described, is of a construction which can be manufactured at comparatively low cost and the elements of which can be easily assembled.

In use the generation of steam may be controlled by ad justment of the knob K to that required for the particular work. Also, the knob L may be adjusted to limit the heat generation as required.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A steam iron comprising an electrically heated sole plate having a vaporizing chamber therein with a discharge passage leading therefrom through the bottom of said plate; a water tank above said sole plate, a discharge nozzle from said tank directed into said chamber and having a metering passage therein; a pin within said passage in said nozzle and cooperating therewith to restrict the flow of water through the said nozzle, said pin having a plurality of non-tapered cylindrical portions of different diameters and of substantial length in an axial direction, and a manual adjusting means for axially moving said pin to alternatively bring the portions of different diameter into operative relation to said metering passage, thereby" abruptly changing the rate of flow.

2. A steam iron as in claim 1, including a shut-off valve for said nozzle operatively connected to said adjusting means to be completely closed in another position of adjustment.

3. A steam iron as in claim 1, in which said adjusting means includes a rotatable knob and means for holding said knob in several definite positions of rotative adjustment corresponding respectively to the longitudinal positions of said pin.

4. The construction as in :claim 1 in which said iron has 'a handle, said manual adjusting means being located lower face a channel helically increasing in depth with recesses of slightly greater depth at spaced points therein corresponding to said definite positions, and a stationary pin, on said handle extending upward into said channel adapted to raise or lower said manual adjusting means when turned and to hold it when engaged by any one of saidrecesses.

5. A steam iron comprising a sole plate having a vaporiziug chamber therein with a discharge passage leading therefrom through the bottom of said plate, a water tank above said sole plate, a nozzle for discharging water from said tank into said vaporizing chamber and having a metering passage for the water, a pin axially movable within said metering passage having a plurality of adjacent non-tapered cylindrical portions each of substantial length and of substantially difierent diameter for successive cooperation with said metering passage, a manual adjusting means for axially moving said pin to successively bring said portions of different diameter into, operative relation to said metering passage and thereby change the rate of How from a maximum rate to a substantially different lesser rate and means for holding saidadjusting means in a plurality of definite positions corresponding to the engagement of the portions of different diameters with said metering passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,763,687 Chadwick et a1 June 17, I930 2,3l7,706 Woodman Apr. 27, 1943 2,337,077 Woodman Dec. 21, 1943 2,337,078 Morton Dec. 21, 1943 2,342,653 Edwards Feb. 29, 1944 2,411,199 Felver Nov. 19, 1946 

